Tinge Of Red
by DarthAnimus
Summary: PreMagic Kaitou - Toichi's third heist in England leads to an interesting meeting. A meeting with a kaitou dressed in red. The strangest friendship of a lifetime introduces Toichi to the world in the traditional Kaitou way.
1. First Encounter

Author's Notes: While I was creating the main storyline for 'Twilight', I created a new character: Phantom Thief Nosferatu. He had such a small role in 'Twilight' that I decided to write another story that focuses more on Michael Dawlish, the thief Nosferatu. The story will be told from Toichi's perspective. In the first chapter, Toichi is 21 years old. English is spoken in _italics._ This is the first story I've written completely scene-based so the lenght of the chapters can be anything from two hundred words to two thousand words.

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 1**

**First Encounter**

It was my third heist in England and it did not seem like a different night from any of the others. I always try to keep every heist unique, but there is always that special sensation in the air when I get ready to sweep in and claim my price. Even that night had the typical before-heist feel in the air. I never would have expected anything out of the ordinary...besides me, of course.

That night I had decided to keep a lower profile than usual. There seemed to be three times more police officers than on my two previous heists combined. I would have probably been able to handle them, but one of the kaitou rules goes: do not discourage your oponent by completely humiliating them.

I made it silently to my goal. Tonight's heist was a priceless statue of pure gold. The fabulous statue made to look like a small girl with a long dress and long hair was named 'Purity Child'. The statue was barely as high as my lower arm. But it was made of pure gold so it would still weight quite much. I reached for the statue.

Only to have it snached away right when I was about to grab it.

"Nani?" I looked up to see two bright red eyes, that seemed to glow in the dark.

_"What are you doing here?"_ the other person demanded in English.

_"I'm having a heist here tonight",_ I replied in his language._ "1412, the best thief in Japan."_

_"And I'm holding a horror night. Nosferatu, the best thief in all England."_

I paused for a moment. We were both after the same thing. I was on his territory, so the polite thing to do would have been to let him hold his 'horror night'. But I was young and impatient at the time, and I did not feel like being polite.

_"Get your hands off my heist!"_ I hissed.

_"Make me!"_ I lunged at the other thief, only to have him dodge with agility that rivaled even my own. Nosferatu stepped into the moonlight and I could see him more clearly. He was wearing a red suit and a black carnival mask. His hair was the color of raven and reached his shoulders. He also had black glowes, leather probably, and his shoes and a bowtie were also black.

That was when the police rushed in to the room.

_"Nosferatu, 1412! You are both under arrest!" _a man, who looked like he was in charge, shouted.

_"I guess this is when I disappear", _Nosferatu spoke and bolted off. I ran after him.

I immediately noticed that this thief could be my match. It took me a lot of effort to keep track of him as he ran through the empty dark corridors. I wondered how he could run so fast. He was slightly taller than me and he had wider shoulders aswell, which made him heavier. But then again, he also had longer legs. Damn Europeans.

_"Hey! Stop!"_ I shouted, even though I knew it would do no good. I heard Nosferatu laugh and then he jumped into the air. And right through a wall.

I barely managed to avoid hitting the wall as I immediately stopped running in confusion. I knocked on the wall carefully, but there seemed to be nothing wrong with it. I frowned. It seemed that Nosferatu also had a few magic tricks.

The sound of the police officers coming running down the hallway jolted me out of my thoughts. I quickly turned to face the approaching officers and threw down a flash bomb. I was gone before they knew what was going on.

Late that night I was still thinking about Nosferatu. We would meet again, that was to be expected. He had outwitted me that night but I had gained an idea of his style. I had been facing a completely new oponent that night but next time I would be ready. Maybe not completely ready but I was Kaitou 1412. I could do the impossible. Nosferatu was in for a ride of his life when we faced off again.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: Just in case you were wondering: A horror night is Nosferatu's version of a heist.


	2. Second Round

Author's Notes: This is set a week after the first chapter. English is spoken in _italics_.

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 2**

**Second Round**

Toichi walked around the museum, scouting around. It was easy to investigate the rooms while dressed as a security officer. He would just have to avoid talking to anyone and no one would realize that he was Japanese. There was still a few hours before he would hold his heist, so he was in no hurry.

There were not that many people in the museum at the moment. Probably because it was Thursday, the middle of the week. Unusually loud chatter turned his attention to a group of young men that were observing a painting. The same painting he was planning to steal that same night.

The boys were dressed in brown school uniforms that had a tinge od purple to them. Toichi suspected that the boys were on their first or second year of high school.

_"Ugh! I can't believe that **this** is considered art! And it's even harder to believe that both 1412 and Nosferatu are after it",_ the shorter of the two boys said. _"How much did you say this awful scribble was worth again?"_ The taller of the two had fudge-colored hair with golden stripes whereas the shorter's hair was completely blond.

_"It's value has been estimated to be 30 000 dollars, and personally, I think it's quite exquisite"_, the taller boy claimed. The blond youth shook his head.

_"Well, **personally** I think that we shouldn't be wasting our precious time in a museum when we could be playing soccer with David and the gang"_, he said. The taller of the two just shrugged.

_"Well, Arthur, if you're so bored you can go and see if they'll let you into the game"_, he replied calmly.

Arthur simply glared at his friend and turned to walk away.

_"Fine, then"_, he said. _"I'll do just that."_ He started walking away. He didn't get far when he stopped and turned around. _"Come on, Michael!"_ he yelled.

Michael turned around at the shout.

_"You shouldn't shout here, _baka. _This is, after all, one of the most important buildings of our country."_

_"You're exaggerating again. ...And stop doing that!"_ Michael lifted an eyebrow.

_"Stop what?"_ he asked.

_"Talking in that weird language. I hate it when you use words I don't understand."_

Michael shrugged again.

_"Sorry"_, he muttered as he turned back towards the painting. _"It was just a tiny slip..."_

_"What ever..."_ Arthur muttered and finally walked away.

Toichi lifted an eyebrow. If the blond had not pointed it out, he would have missed the word the other boy had used. He frowned. Why would an English high school boy know Japanese?

Toichi shrugged.

'None of my business', he thought and walked over to the window to see what kind of an alarm system it had. He was so occupied with his investigations that he never noticed how Michael's eyes watched his every move. The boy smirked as his eyes flashed intelligently.

_"Gotcha..."_

_Later that evening:_

When Toichi later returned to the museum at night, he was dressed as one of the police officers. He moved into the instructed position, making sure that he did not draw any unwanted attention to himself.

He stole a glance at the painting.

'Tonight _The Chaos _will be mine...' he thought and willed himself not to smirk.

"Konbanwa, kaitousan..." a voice whispered to his ear. Toichi's eyes widened as he whirled around to face a police officer who wore a smug smirk on his face. His eyes were shadowed by the brim of the hat but Toichi could see that the man was young.

_"What was that?"_ Toichi asked, cursing himself for not having a perfect accent.

"Your secret is safe with me, 1412", the man continued, speaking fluent Japanese. The tone was so quiet that no one could hear them. To outsiders they looked just like two fellow workers having a conversation.

Toichi glared at the other man. He did not seem to be a police officer. The voice was familiar, though. Toichi reached out and flipped the brim of the other's hat up a bit. His eyes widened. This was the school boy he had seen earlier that day!

"I take it you remember me, 1412?" the boy said. Toichi nodded. "I guess we both should wear proper disquises while scouting, ne?" Toichi's eyes narrowed.

_"Nosferatu..."_ he hissed. The young man infront of him smirked again.

"Took you long enough."

Toichi did not believe that the other thief would give him away and he was not about to turn the other in either. Toichi thought it might have been considered a thief's honor of sorts. "What do you want?" he asked.

"A challenge, a contest, a game." Nosferatu grinned slyly at the older thief.

"A race?" Toichi questioned. Nosferatu's smile widened.

"I'm glad to see us on the same page. The race begins when the clock strikes eight. All tricks are allowed and no mercy for the weak." Toichi couldn't help but smirk himself.

"You mean the cops?" Nosferatu flashed his teeth in a wide grin.

"We truly **do** understand eachother."

_"Hey, you two!"_ a commanding officer shouted to their direction. _"Back to your stations!"_ Both Nosferatu and Toichi saluted when Nosferatu answered: _"Yes, sir!"_

They seperated and went to their 'duties'. Toichi was starting to feel anxious because of the challenge. The police officers were easy to handle, but he had lost to Nosferatu once already. He could not let that happen again.

Toichi's muscles tensed when the minutes passed away. His eyes drifted back and forth from the painting to Nosferatu. He was satisfied to see the other thief bite his lower lip even though he could not see any other sign of nervousness.

The clock struck. One of the officers jumped, another yelped. And Nosferatu was gone.

Toichi's eyes widened. Where had the other thief gone off to? He growled in frustration at himself for losing the other from his sight. He took of his hat. That just meant he had to work faster, now did it not?

Toichi threw the hat across the room. It landed in the middle of the group of police officers. This was why he had been so keen to get himself a spot in the sidelines. The hat exploded, throwing nets over the officers. A puff of smoke appeared and Toichi was in his Kid outfit. He rushed to the painting only to find an empty wall with a red bat sticker glued to it.

Toichi growled. Damn that Nosferatu! He whirled his head around and spotted the window he had been examining earlier that day. The other thief might be just that sly. Toichi rushed to the window. There was a strange layer of dust on it. This had to be it.

Toichi kicked the window open. He made sure he could easily open the window earlier that day. He started a wild dash across the roof top. Nosferatu could not have gotten far.

A grin spread on Toichi's face suddenly. There! He saw a red spot a couple of roof tops farther ahead. Nosferatu may have been fast, but Toichi had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. He opened his hang glider and took off after the other thief.

Toichi glided soundlessly but quickly over the other thief and dropped down just above him. The impact sent both of the thieves thumbling across the roof top. The painting, protected by a secure package, dropped on the tiles with a silent thump.

Toichi pushed the other thief on the ground by the arms while pressing his knee to the other's back.

"G-got you", Toichi panted. "You're fast, I give you that. But you're not as skilled as I am. You need a head start to win your oponents."

Nosferatu chuckled underneath him.

"What a way to analyze another's style. You truly are something else, kaitou 1412..." Nosferatu let out a sigh. "I admit defeat to your superior skills. After all, you managed to take out the police officers** and** catch me."

"Arigatou", Toichi muttered and stood up. He walked over to the painting and tucked it underneath his arm. But a frown was visible on his face. "You aren't going to put up more of a fight?" he asked and turned to Nosferatu. The red-clad thief was picking himself up and dusting himself off.

"Nah..." Nosferatu said. "You said it so yourself; my secret is that I always go for a head start." He turned to look at Toichi. "I would like us to meet again, though."

Toichi blinked at the other.

"Meet again?"

"Yes. You know, casually. Hang out a bit." Toichi's eyes narrowed.

"What are you up to?"

"I swear I'm up to absolutely nothing. You are staying here longer, ne?"

"Well, yes", Toichi admitted. "A week or two, probably."

"I can show you around. I bet you could use a tour."

Toichi was still a bit wary of the other thief.

"I don't get it", he said. "What's in it for you?" Nosferatu laughed.

"You have no idea how boring life can get sometimes. You don't meet other people that do this too often, you know." Toichi had to admit that Nosferatu had a point. There were only so many kaitous in the world. And he really did want to get to know the places a bit.

"Sure", he finally said.

"Ok", Nosferatu nodded. "How about we meet up tomorrow? Same time, same place, how about it?"

Toichi lifted an eyebrow.

"As in..?"

"At the museum, after school. I have an important test tomorrow. I can't skip it." Toichi chuckled at the other thief.

"Sure", he finally said. "See you tomorrow afternoon."

_Next Afternoon:_

Toichi walked inside the museum, not sure why he had agreed on the other thief's invitation. Maybe it was because he was curious of Nosferatu's motivations. Why would a thief invite another thief to spend the day with? Did he want to throw a hest together?

Toichi had returned the painting that very same morning but it had not been put back on dispaly yet. He looked around the room, trying to spot the youth with fudge-colored hair. He soon noticed the boy watching a painting of a white horse, while chuckling softly to himself.

Toichi walked behind the English boy and leaned in, close to his ear.

"Mind telling me what's so funny?" he whispered pretty much in the same matter the other had whispered into his ear the previous night.

To Toichi's disappointment the other did not jump or even freeze.

"Oh, just an inside joke", he said, turning around to face Toichi.

Michael truly had beautiful eyes. This was the first thing that Toichi noticed about the other. The dark blue eyes shone with playfulness. Toichi could not help but push away one honey-colored stripe that had fallen infront of Michael's left eye.

"Is this natural?" he found himself asking.

"Of course!" Michael responded with a smile.

Toichi turned towards the painting again.

"So, what was with this painting again?" he asked. Michael grinned at him.

"I already told you. It's an inside joke. You wouldn't understand."

"What makes you so sure about that?" Toichi asked. Michael waved his hand dismissively.

"It doesn't matter" he said. "Hey, you think I could give this painting as a present to my sister?"

Toichi looked at the other strangely.

"You're going to steal it?" he asked.

"What? Of course not." Michael laughed. "I guess you haven't recognized me yet", he then said.

"I am Dawlish Michael, the youngest member of the Dawlish family. What a Dawlish wants, he gets. Haven't you heard that motto before? It's all over the papers almost once a month."

Toichi blinked. Nosferatu was Michael Dawlish? A member of one of the richest families of all Europe?

"Why is a millionare stealing?"

"For entertainment." Toichi lifted an eyebrow. Michael laughed.

"Sorry, just joking around. Ok, honestly I just want to encourage people to take better care of priceless pieces of art."

Toichi nodded his head.

"Makes sense", he admitted.

"So, are you going to tell me your name?" Michael questioned. Toichi knew that he could refuse. But then Michael would most likely be offended and leave. For some strange reason he did not want the other thief to leave.

"Kuroba Toichi", he said.

"Mind if I call you by your first name?" Toichi was not all that suprised of the question but the tone Michael used. He sounded almost shy. Toichi nodded.

"Certainly", he replied.

"Great!" Michael cheered. "Then you can call me Michael!"

Michael wrapped his arm around Toichi's own and began tugging.

"Let's go, Toichi-san!" he said with his voice full of laughter. Toichi noticed that the tone was quite different from the one the younger man had used in the museum with his friend, less forced. Apparently Michael felt that he was more like Toichi than his school mate. For some reason Toichi found himself not minding as he started walking with the other.

"Lead the way, Michael-kun."

_**To be continued...**_


	3. OffDuty

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 3**

**Off-Duty**

"So, anyway, this guy thinks I'm going to be friendly to him just because my sister dates him", Michael droned on while he sat in a café with Toichi. Toichi listened intently to the other's tale. "But, if you ask me, that's a good reason to **not** treat him good, if you know what I mean."

Toichi had very soon noticed that Michael was a very open person. The first thing he had learned about the paler man was that he liked to talk. A lot. Toichi had gotten to know all the basics about the other man during the first couple of hours. Michael had told him where he went to school, where he lived, about his family and his sister's boyfriend. Toichi had been suprised to find himself also telling the other about himself, a fact that seemed to please Michael greatly.

Michael lived with his parents in a mansion-like house so far away from the town that he had to be taken to school every day by car. Toichi had gotten the impression that Michael's father was very much like Michael whereas his mother was the one who called the shots around their home. And in their company aswell.

Michael's sister was also a bit of a laid-back personality, but not as bad as Michael. She had been dating this 'Kojiro-fellow', as Michael put it, for a couple of moths now and Michael believed that it was serious. This he had asumed from the fact that the guy had tried to make contact with Michael. Apparently he and Michael's sister both wanted Michael to support their relationship.

"Is he a bad guy then?" Toichi asked Michael, making the other think.

"No", the pale man said finally. "He's incredibly polite and law-abiding. But he's just human enough for it to be believable. And he also has a strong sense of humor."

Toichi lifted an eyebrow.

"Sounds like a pretty cool guy if you ask me", he pointed out.

"Yeah...I guess he is", Michael admitted. Toichi grinned at the other man.

"It seems to me that you're just a tad bit jealous", he said. He found himself strangely satisfied when he saw the faint pink blush on Michael's cheeks. He had to admit, the other man was fun to bait like that. He seemed to be unfamiliar with playful taunts but had quickly learned that Toichi meant nothing with them.

Toichi furrowed his brows for a moment.

"My honest opinion is that you're afraid of losing your sister. That is why you see this Kojiro as a threat. You fear, at least on a subconcious level, that he will steal your sister from you." Michael blushed bright red this time.

"I guess I might feel that way..." Toichi gave Michael an encouraging smile.

"So you and your sister must be pretty close", he said. It was an assumption but Toichi was pretty certain that he was correct. Michael's nod confirmed his suspicions.

"We grew up really close since there weren't many other kids around the mansion. We were each other's only friends for many years."

Toichi nodded as he took another sip of his tea.

"It is perfectly natural to feel the way you do. Many siblings find it difficult to part ways", he said after a moment of thinking.

"But my sister says it's annoying and childish", Michael said. "Why isn't she equally attached to me?"

Toichi placed his cup on its saucer before answering.

"Every person is an individual. We have different oppinions so naturally our reactions aren't alike either. You and your sister might have grown up together but there a differences between you. Your age for one. You told me that your sister is five years older than you; that is a big difference. And, of course, your both of different gender so you experience things differently. These are both very good reasons for your sister to feel differently on the matter of seperation."

Michael still looked a bit insecure.

"What should I do?" he asked finally. Toichi took a deep breath.

"You need to give your sister room to live even though it might feel difficult. You need to learn to let go and to trust Kojiro. From what you've told me about him, it seems to me that you can trust your sister with him."

With a nod of both agreement and gratefulness Michael turned his eyes to look at his tea cup. The reddish brown liquid was still steaming since they had not been there for long. Toichi took a sip of his own tea.

Michael took a careful sip of his lemon-flawored tea. Toichi suspected it to be the other man's favorite flawor.

"What is the time?" Michael asked, sounding like himself again.

"It's five", Toichi replied. Michael looked disappointed.

"Oh..." he said. Toichi put his cup down.

"You have to go", he said. It was more like a statement than a question but Michael nodded anyway.

"Sorry", he said.

Toichi let out a sigh. And he was actually starting to enjoying himself aswell. He nodded and drank the rest of his tea in one giant gulp. Michael followed suit and stood up at the same time with him.

"So..." Michael started as they walked out of the café. "How long are you planning on staying in England exactly?" Toichi thought about it. He had planned on leaving in a week, but suddenly he did not think he should leave so soon.

"In a month or so", he replied instead. What was three weeks more?

Michael beamed at him.

"Maybe I could show you around a bit more then? Some other day?" he suggested. Toichi smiled at him.

"I would like that", he said. The wide grin that Toichi was starting to call 'the Michael Grin' was the best part of this day yet.

_**To be continued...**_


	4. A Slip Of The Tongue

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 4**

**A Slip Of The Tongue**

"Nosferatu!" Toichi shouted out after the red-clad thief. They were holding their first heist together, a fact that seemed to give Nosferatu's happy attitude an extra boost. Toichi had not known before that someone could be that happy that long.

Toichi was falling behind as he tried to stay after his most-likely sugar high colleague.

"Nosferatu!" he called again. Finally the English thief stopped.

"What?" he snapped at Toichi. "Too fast for ya?" Toichi growled.

"I could catch you with one foot tied behind my back", he retorded.

Nosferatu looked at him strangely for a moment. Then the face behind the mask turned pale and then pink. Nosferatu started coughing furiously, quickly turning away from Toichi. Toichi took a step towards his younger companion.

"What's the matter?"

After a bit more coughing Nosferatu finally spoke.

"I think you've just scarred me for life", he mumbled. Toichi lifted an eyebrow at that.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"..."

"Spit it out!"

"The mental images..."

It took a moment for Toichi to realize what the raven-haired man meant. Then he blushed.

"I didn't mean it that-" he started but Nosferatu cut him off.

"I know magicians can do suprising things but I never expected you to be that flexible."

Toichi coughed.

'Poker face, poker face...' he repeated to himself in his mind. A safe mantra against the new way Nosferatu had decided to deal with this. He was going to joke about it and Toichi just knew he would never live it down. Not if Nosferatu could help it.

_**To be continued...**_


	5. Unsual Team

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 5**

**Unusual Team**

"I can't believe what a remarkable team we make!" Nosferatu cheered as he landed on a rooftop, Toichi right behind him.

"Yes", Toichi said. "I have to admit that I was a bit worried about the outcome of all this."

Nosferatu looked at Toichi, his eyebrows rising.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean that our styles and techniques are very different", Toichi explained.

"I don't see much of a difference", Nosferatu put in. "We could both be considered magicians, not to mention I've noticed you also have this interest towards pranks..."

Toichi let out a sigh.

"I am not even close to being as bad as you are", he said. "Sometimes I wonder if you're a sadist." Nosferatu waved his index finger at Toichi, grinning all the while.

"There's nothing wrong with being a little bit mischievous", he said. Toichi could not help but smile.

"I guess not", he admitted. "Just don't get too carried away."

"Who me? Never!"

It was an empty promise, Toichi knew this. But then again, why should he expect someone like Nosferatu to change the way he operated? And Toichi had to admit, he had almost laughed himself to tears when all the police uniforms had turned pink. Toichi decided that he should find a way to do something like that himself.

"You still think we aren't a dream team?" Nosferatu asked, his grin still not fading.

"I admit that our techniques have certain...similarities", Toichi said. But before Nosferatu could start gloating about this Toichi continued: "It's our styles that are worlds apart."

"I don't understand", Nosferatu said with a sigh. "What's wrong with our styles?"

"There's nothing exactly **wrong** with them. They're just different." Nosferatu tapped his chin with his finger. Finally he spoke.

"I still don't get it."

Toichi growled. Nosferatu was trying to get him riled up, he was certain about this Of course the other would know what he meant by now.

"So you don't want to do this again?" Nosferatu asked, pulling off one of his black gloves. He started inspecting his nails like he was trying to act indifferent.

"I didn't mean it like that, Nosferatu", Toichi said. When Nosferatu looked up from his nails Toichi offered him a reassuring smile.

"I just meant that everything went far more smoothly than I had expected."

Nosferatu pulled his glove back on, clearly trying to gain more time to think about what to say.

"I never doubted us", he said finally. Toichi smiled.

"Of course you didn't, and neither did I. Stealing the necklace was just even easier than I had expected. I hadn't thought that teaming up would make such a big difference."

"Of course it made a difference", Nosferatu said and laughed. "Why else would so many people have used teamwork before us?"

"You do have a point there", Toichi admitted. "But we do make the most preculiar team."

Nosferatu shrugged.

"I wouldn't know about that", he said. "If you ignore the fact that you dress in white and I dress in red we aren't all that unusual." He looked at Toichi and winked playfully when he saw the other's incredulous look.

"Ok", he said. "There's nothing usual about us."

_**To be continued...**_


	6. Deeper Than Just Skin

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 6**

**Deeper Than Just Skin**

"That was excellent!" Nosferatu cheered and Toichi had to agree with him. They had truly played to their strenghts tonight. The police had been left with rubble as Toichi worked his magic and Nosferatu kept leaping through solid objects. He still did not know how the red thief did that.

Toichi would have wanted to ask Nosferatu how he performed his seemingly impossible trick, but it was part his manners and part his pride holding him back. He was not sure if it was appropriate to inquire about Nosferatu's secrets. After all, a magician never reveals his secrets. And on the pride side it was the fact that he wanted to figure out the mystery himself. Of course, he also did not want to admit that the other had a better trick than him, even though it was the only one Nosferatu used. And he used it alot.

"How should we return this?" Nosferatu asked, bringing Toichi out of his thoughts. He was holding the object of tonight's heist in his black-glowed hand. It was an elephant statue, carved out of a real ruby. 'Rosy Tusk' it was called, a name Toichi found childish and Nosferatu poetic. Well, Nosferatu had admitted that it was only poetic in the eyes of someone like him.

"Why do we have to return it in a specific way?" Toichi asked. "Neither of us has done that before. Why should we start now?"

"Why does everything have to have a reason?" Nosferatu asked back.

"But if you need a specific reason, it might be because we're different now. We aren't performing solo."

Toichi shook his head.

"I never knew you actually think about things this way", he said.

"What way?" Nosferatu asked.

"Seriously, deeply, you know; like it's all worthwhile." Nosferatu looked at the dark city behind Toichi.

"Sometimes I wonder..." he mumbled.

The tone was so different from the one Nosferatu usually used that it slightly worried Toichi.

"Wonder what?" he asked, aware of the fact that in this state Nosferatu might not give him an answer.

Nosferatu closed his eyes and opened them again to smile brightly at Toichi.

"Well, a truly insane person is the one that seems actually sane sometimes." Nosferatu laughed at his own words but Toichi could see it was not genuine. There were unshed tears shining in Nosferatu's eyes.

Toichi walked closer to Nosferatu but stopped half-way. He wanted to know what was troubling the red-clad man and comfort him if it was necessary. But he was not sure if he should. They had really known each other for only a week. Toichi was not sure if Michael considered him close enough to reveal his weaknesses. Toichi was not sure if he would trust trust Michael that way yet.

"You look tired", Toichi said finally. "How about I return the gem?" He reached out with his hand. "I promise I'll figure out something grand." Nosferatu started to hand out the elephant but stopped suddenly.

"But-" he started. He was most likely wondering why Toichi agreed to his idea so suddenly.

"You can plan our next returning", Toichi promised, trying to take Nosferatu's thoughts away from his sudden agreement.

Finally the pale man nodded.

"Ok", he said, placing the 'Rosy Tusk' into Toichi's hand. Toichi closed his fist around the ruby statue, grinning at Nosferatu.

"See you around?" he offered.

"Yeah..." Nosferatu said in a somewhat hollow voice.

Toichi leaped backwards and tilted his hat to Nosferatu.

"Next Tuesday? The usual time and place?" he suggested. Nosferatu nodded.

"Of course", he said a bit hurriedly. Toichi only nodded and disappeared into the night.

_**To be continued...**_


	7. Faces Under The Masks

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 7**

**Faces Under The Masks**

"Do you mind if I ask you a rather personal question?" Michael asked Toichi over his tea cup. The two were currently sitting the same café where they met every time they were out of 'uniform'.

"Depends on the nature of the question", Toichi replied, sipping from his own cup that contained coffee. The smell of fresh lemons floated around the table like every time they were here. Michael liked his lemon tea strong.

Michael stirred his cup before speaking.

"What do you feel when you..." He trailed off, not sure how to continue.

"What?"

"You know." Michael waved his hand.

"No I don't", Toichi assured him. "Mind being more specific?"

Michael glared into his cup before looking up at Toichi.

"When you put on your constume, what do you feel?" he asked. "What does being 1412 make you feel?" It was all right to ask such a thing even in a public place such as this. No one eavesdropped in a place like this. Not to mention no one could understand them since they were speaking Japanese.

Toichi leaned back in his chair and shrugged.

"I guess it doesn't feel any different from when I go on stage to perform magic", he said. "There might be some butterflies in the pit of my stomach but as long as my poker face stays intact nothing can go wrong."

Michael looked back into his cup.

"Is it really that simple?" he asked. "Will everything really be ok if you just don't show your doubt?"

"And when a mistake occurs, it's always important to let the audience think it's all part of the show."

"So you don't feel any different from what you usually feel?" Michael asked. "The uniform doesn't make you feel any different?" Toichi shook his head.

"Not really", he said and took a deep gulp from his coffee.

Both men were quiet for a while. Michael seemed to be deep in thought. His brows were furrowed and he was staring out of the window next to them, taking a small sip of his tea every now and then. Toichi was watching Michael, trying to study his face to see what the other was thinking about.

"How about you?" he asked finally.

Michael slowly turned his head towards Toichi, still thinking. The wrinkles on his forehead finally smoothened out as the muscles relaxed and he seemed to be ready to answer.

"When I put the mask on..." Michael started carefully. "I feel like I was another person entirely. All my insecurities and doubts disappear. As long as I wear the mask I feel like I could do anything, anything at all."

Toichi listened in silence. He waited patiently when Michael took a break to drink some tea. Soon the fair-haired man continued again.

"It's an amazing feeling." Michael's voice was exited. It seemed like he had been dying to get to tell this to someone.

"I feel something surging through my whole body making me stronger, more real. Suddenly I can hear much better, I see clearer and I smell so many new things. It's unbelievable. The whole world seems to open up to me, and only me."

Toichi was silent for a while and noticed Michael slowly return back to his collected self.

"Sorry..." the fair man mumbled. "I got a bit carried away..."

"It's perfectly fine", Toichi assured his friend. "But I must say I am curious of a simple mask's effect on you. To my experience a mask makes a man feel liberated but also suffocated."

Michael gave Toichi a knowing smile.

"But my friend..." he said quietly. "It is no ordinary mask..."

"What do you mean by that?" Toichi questioned. Michael waved his index finger at him.

"Another day, another story", he said playfully. "It wouldn't do if I were to tell you everything immediately."

Toichi lifted an eyebrow at Michael.

"When **do** I get to hear the rest of it?" he asked. Michael shrugged and leaned back in his chair, a mirrored imitation of Toichi's movements from before.

"I don't know", Michael said truthfully. "When I feel like it, I guess."

Spite his curiosity and disappointment Toichi chuckled softly. With Michael a sentence like that could mean any lenght of time, from three minutes to three years.

"I hope you feel like it at this century", Toichi said. Michael stiffled a laugh.

"Probably", he said. "Don't worry. I don't think I'll torture you for long."

"Make sure you don't."

_**To be continued...**_


	8. Extreme Sports

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 8**

**Extreme Sports**

"Are we there yet?" Toichi mumbled as he trailed after Michael. The Briton had insisted on getting to decide what they were to do today and sonce Toichi had been bored out of his wits, he had agreed. Now he was starting to have second thoughts.

"You have been dragging me along for hours", Toichi growled to his fair-haired companion. "Surely we are close to our destination already?"

"Oh, sure sure..." Toichi let out a sigh. Somehow he was not feeling relieved. And the large bag on Michael's shoulder was worrying him enough already.

"We're here!" The sudden declaration did not reach Toichi's brains in time and the darker man walked straight into Michael.

"Hey!" the slimmer man shouted out as his cap fell to the ground. He reached down to grab it as Toichi scrached the back of his head sheepishly.

"Call out a bit sooner next time", he said.

"By the way..." the Japanese man continued as he peered around his companion. "Where is 'here' exactly?" He watched the strange ramps that had been set up around a concrete field. It resembled a scating rink.

"We're at the town's best scating park, of course!" Michael said and dragged his bag towards the closest bench row. Toichi followed right behind him.

"**Why** are we here?" he asked as Michael dropped his bag on the wooden bench.

Michael looked at him his eyes wide as if Toichi had just grown a blue horns on his head.

"Uhh..." The fudge-haired man spread his arms. "To scateboard, perhaps?"

Toichi just stood still when Michael rummaged through the navy blue bag and pulled out two scate boards. The other was fiery red and the other forest green. Michael handed the green one to Toichi.

"Have you scated before?" Toichi took the board.

"Not exactly..." he replied. "Aren't we supposed to wear helmets or something?"

"It's really quite easy once you get the hang of it", Michael said, throwing Toichi a black and green helmet. Toichi caught it and Michael put on his own red and green helmet.

"Just remember poker face", the Briton said as he closed the helmet below his chin. Toichi followed suit.

"This really has nothing to do with poker face", he said.

"Imagine you're learning a new magic trick." Michael had already started walking towards the nearest ramp. Toichi ran after him.

"It's not that simple!" he shouted.

&&&&&&&

"See, it wasn't all that bad?" Michael said as he took off his helmet. Toichi rubbed his sore behind as he handed Michael the helmet he had been using.

"I beg to differ", he growled.

"Aaw, don't be like that", Michael cooed to his older friend. "I think you caught on pretty quickly."

Toichi rubbed the scrape in his cheek.

"You really think so?" he asked.

"Well, you caught on quickly to how to fall properly." Toichi glared at his companion. Even though Michael was slightly taller than him, the Briton was slimmer. If they were to start a fight it would not be a suprise who would win.

"I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon enough", Michael said in a way to calm Toichi down. Apparently he could sense the storm coming. "We'll try some easier moves next time."

"I'm not so sure there will be a next time", Toichi mumbled.

"Don't be such a party pooper."

Michael had finished packing their things. He threw the bag over his shoulder and took a hold of Toichi's arm.

"I think these two warriors need something cool to drink", he said as he started tugging Toichi after him.

"You mean you **do** drink something else besides tea?" Toichi's comment earned his an elbow in the ribs. "Ow!"

Happy whistling soon started to come from Michael and Toichi soon forgot about the rough treatment his side had suffered. But that did not mean he was going to go scate boarding with the fair-haired man again. At least, not until all his bruises had healed.

_**To be continued...**_


	9. Aces In The Sleeve

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 9**

**Aces In The Sleeve**

"You are awfully naive, you know that?" Toichi watched Nosferatu turn to face him when he said this. The two of them were scouting for their next heist together that would be held the following night.

"What are you talking about?" Nosferatu asked with a laugh. "Don't you think that's a rather strange topic to bring up at this time?" Toichi simply shrugged.

"How should I know?" he said. "I was just wondering how you could trust me so easily."

Nosferatu's blood red eyes met Toichi's own purple ones.

"Are you saying you aren't trust-worthy?" he asked and lifted an eyebrow.

"No", Toichi grunted. "I'm only saying that how could **you** know that I would not give you away?"

A thoughtful look passed Nosferatu's face only for a moment.

"Because I could also turn you in if you did that", he said.

"True..." Toichi muttered. Then he stopped to think for a moment.

"It feels strange." Nosferatu lifted an eyebrow again.

"What feels?" he asked.

"Well, this." Toichi gestured around. "Our team work. It doesn't feel like we're doing this just because the other could turn us in."

"Well, that is true..."

To Toichi it did not seem like Nosferatu was really thinking about the thing he had just pointed out.

"You have another advantage", he said as he realized it himself. Nosferatu clicked his tongue. "You do, don't you?"

"Maybe..."

Toichi watched as Nosferatu pulled off one of his leather gloves. The skin of the now-visible left hand was completely white, like a corpse would have. Or rather, just like a vampire the red-clad thief claimed to be.

"Can you keep a secret?" Nosferatu asked in a low hiss. Toichi only snorted and waved his hand. Like he was not keeping any secrets already.

"Right", Nosferatu said with a snicker. He then brought his left hand ahead of himself. "To believe what I have to say you need to observe." Toichi did exactly this.

Toichi's eyes widened when he saw a green glow surround Nosferatu's hand. The same glow started to come from the roof they were standing on. Toichi looked down to see a star with five points. He recognized a pentagram, a symbol of magick, when he saw one.

For a while Toichi did not know what to say. Finally he gasped out one sentense, half question, half statement.

"You're a witch, then?" This was asked only to confirm a fact. The green glow faded and Toichi looked at Nosferatu again. The other thief refused to meet his gaze.

"I wouldn't say a 'witch'", Nosferatu said finally, as if trying to break the uneasy silence.

"A wizard then?" Toichi suggested. He wanted to show Nosferatu that he did not think any differently of the other man, even though this new revelation explained a lot of things and left him curious to know more.

"I'm a warlock", Nosferatu corrected Toichi's statement.

"What's the difference?"

"Warlock means 'vow-breaker'."

"I still don't get it."

"I'm an exiled wizard. My ancestors were real wizards but they broke the rules of their group and were stripped of their dignity and position in the group."

"Wow", Toichi gasped. "What did they do?" Nosferatu shrugged.

"I'm not completely sure", he said. "I'm trying to find that out, but there are many family records and little time to examine them."

Toichi tapped his chin thoughtfully, something he had seen Nosferatu do once too many times.

"That explains why you can go through walls", he pointed out. Nosferatu let out a chuckle.

"You're taking this pretty well", he said.

"Hey, you got me to a scating park, you have to be magical."

Nosferatu smirked at the white thief.

"I know better than anyone that magick can only do so much", he said. "I did not force you to do anything."

Both men were silent for a moment. Nosferatu was the first to speak again. "Admit it, you enjoyed yourself." Toichi could not help but laugh.

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: The word 'magick' really exists, it's not a mistake. It's a word used for so-called 'dark magic'.


	10. Discussion Over Tea

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 10**

**Discussion Over Tea**

It was an early morning when Toichi walked into the café. He was supposed to meet Michael here today, but he could not see the fudge-haired man among the crowd that had taken the small store over.

"Ohayo gozaimasu, Toichi-san", a voice greeted from behind Toichi. The magician did not even flinch.

"Ohayo, Michael-kun", he replied. And indeed it was Michael that stepped next to him, a wide smile on his face.

"We should go sit somewhere", Michael said as he took a hold of Toichi's sleeve. He quickly weaved his way through the crowd, dragging Toichi with him to a table where the duo sat down. They were both quiet until the waitress had gotten their orders and brought them their drinks.

"I'm leaving back to Japan tomorrow", Toichi started.

"I know", was Michael's reply. Both men were quiet for a moment. The sound of happy chatter that surrounded them felt out of place in Toichi's mind. They were both feeling anything but cheerful.

Toichi took a sip of his tea and glanced to the opposite side of the table, only to see Michael glaring at his own tea. The brunet could not help letting out a sigh.

"This is not how I was hoping we would part ways", he said. Michael looked up from his tea and locked eyes with Toichi.

"I'm sorry."

The Japanese thief waved his hand dismissively.

"It's fine as long as you at least try to smile", he said. He snapped his fingers and some brightly-colored confetti rained on Michael's dual-colored hair. The action managed to get a small snicker out of the younger man.

"I think that's what I'm going to miss most about you", Michael said. Toichi lifted a questioning eyebrow at this.

"You're going to miss my confetti?"

"You really are stupid, you know that?"

Toichi scratched the back of his head in confusion as he eyed the other man fume silently. He took a sip of his tea as Michael poured some sugar into his own drink. The younger man's greatest weakness was his sweet tooth, this Toichi learned from all the times he had drunk tea with Michael.

"I have some pastries", Toichi offered offhandedly.

"You can't buy me off that easily", Michael growled and took a deep gulp from his cup. He was really angry about something.

Toichi considered this for a moment.

"They're chocolate."

Michael glared murder at his friend. His blue eyes were as cold as ice as he hissed: "You think I care?"

Toichi shot a glance at the paper bag resting on the chair next to his own. He had bought them as a parting gift for Michael, but had had no idea that they would have to be used as a peace offering. A peace offering that did not even work. I a manner of describing the situation with words, his offering had been blown to bits.

"Dark chocolate?" The question brought a wide smile to Toichi's lips.

"Would I buy any other kind?" he said playfully. In both a way to assure the other that he was telling the truth and further wake interest he lifted the goods to the table. He took a pastry out of the bag and presented it to Michael.

"Truce?" he asked and tried to form his most convincing puppy dog face, not that those ever worked on anyone. But it never hurt to try.

Michael grabbed the pastry from Toichi's hand with speed only a phantom thieves posess and stuffed it into his mouth.

"I'll consider it", the Briton mumbled after swallowing.

"I have four more."

"Deal."

_**To be continued...**_

Ending Notes: This was supposed to be last chapter of the England phase in this fic but suddenly Michael decided to be difficult and the first 'episode' of Tinge of Red gained an extra chapter. Next chapter is sure to be the last one, after which the events will shift to Japan.


	11. Not The Last Goodbye

**Tinge Of Red**

**Chapter 11**

**Not The Last Goodbye**

"So, when will the plane leave?" Michael asked Toichi while glancing towards the gate that his friend would be using soon.

"In five minutes or so", Toichi responded off-handedly while shuffling a deck of cards just for the heck of it. He had always found goodbyes awkward and felt a lot better about them once he had something to do with his hands. "I really enjoyed my stay here in England", he offered.

Michael looked startled at first, clearly not expecting such honest words from the brunet. Slowly he nodded his head and muttered: "You're welcome, I guess."

"It's funny, really", Toichi said with a grin at the Brit. "I haven't been able to make much friends after I became... well, you probably know what I mean."

There was another nod from Michael and a solemn: "I know exactly what you mean." That was the problem with double identities. You could not let anyone get too close to you in fear of them finding out too much. And no matter how well you got along with someone there would always be that one big secret shadowing the relationship. You always doubt if you truly could trust your friend with the secret and you spend hours wondering how they would react to the truth.

"Are you going somewhere with this?" Michael asked finally, his tone of voice indicating that this was an uncomfortable subject for him. Toichi ran a hand through his hair before replying: "Actually, yes." He glanced over to the billboard, not comfortable with facing his friend while he told him this. "It fills me with strange bitterness, knowing that there will be an ocean between us."

Toichi heard Michael shift but did not look in his direction. He was uncomfortable already.

"In the end every human is the same", Michael spoke cryptically and Toichi looked up at him. Was he saying he felt the same or was this some random Michael-talk again? "We all bleed red."

A hum of acknowledgement came from Toichi before he commented: "That still isn't a very comfortable goodbye." He paused for a brief moment as he turned to face Michael again. "I was actually waiting for a joke."

"Sorry", Michael said with a small smile. "I'm not really in the mood for something like that."

Just then the speakers were turned off and Toichi's flight was announced. Toichi grinned at the appropriate timing and said to Michael: "Well, if you ever find yourself in Japan, feel free to look me up and say hi."

"I'm in the middle of a school year here, so that might be a bit difficult", Michael grunted with distaste. "I have to take care of education, you know." Then he smiled slightly and Toichi realized there was a way around that problem. "But hey, with summer break coming around, who knows?"

_**To be continued...**_

_**End of England Arc**_

Ending Notes: Haven't been updating in a while. Sorry about that. I've been suffering from lack of motivation and inspiration. But now I'm back on the road with this fic. The length of the chapters is pretty uneven, but that's only to be expected since the chapters are somewhat similar to one-shots. This is the end of arc one. It was originally supposed to be ten chapters long when that very chapter ten decided to blow into my face. So now the count is eleven and the next chapter is going to be second arc. I hope I can get it done faster than this one, since there's going to be four arcs in total.


	12. Miss Me?

Author's Notes: Welcome to the second arc of Tinge of Red; the Japan Arc!

**Tinge of Red**

**Chapter 12**

**Miss Me?**

Toichi looked around the room he had run into. He was panting heavily; it was actually quite difficult to run with a long cape hanging from your shoulders catching wind. He really should have thought about that while designing his outfit.

The room was small, used only for small theme exhibitions. It only had one door, the one Toichi had come in from, and no windows.

"What's the deal with this room?" Toichi exclaimed in exhaustion. Just then he heard someone else step into the room. The white-clad thief quickly turned around to see a young man he had not encountered on a heist before.

"Who are you?" Toichi could not help but ask. "You're not a police officer." The man was not wearing a uniform.

"I'm no one important, Kaitou 1412", the man spoke in manner that told Toichi that this person did indeed hold himself on high regard despite what he was saying. "I'm simply a writer."

"Well, you won't find any inspiration here", Toichi said smartly, all the while grinning widely. "There's nothing here but us phantoms."

"I think I can make something out of this", the man said simply and waved his hand dismissively. "After all, there is a lot of mystery around you, 1412."

"Would you people just stop calling me that", Toichi said with a huff. "It makes me feel like some secondary criminal case."

The man looked amused for a brief moment before letting out a small laugh and saying: "I'll see what i can do." His expression then grew serious. "But now I'm going to capture you. I knew you would choose this path. It's simple suggestion really. Once you saw that sign prohibiting entry you automatically ran down this particular corridor."

"My, aren't you a smart one", Toichi said in a biting manner. It did not show on the outside but in reality he was growing more nervous by the minute. Who man this man? He was completely unlike any other opponent he had faced, almost as unnerving as Nosferatu had been on their first meeting. He would have to come up with a plan soon or he just might get caught.

Suddenly Toichi felt something grab his from behind, around his stomach. Letting out a startled yelp he tried to look behind himself but could not see anything. The man standing by the door had started running towards him but Toichi was not too worried about that right now as his mysterious captor pulled him backwards, right into a wall and through it seconds later.

Not understanding what happened Toichi stared at the wall in front of him, seeing a familiar green star symbol fade away.

"Magick..." Toichi muttered quietly when the arms that had been pulling him slipped away. He whirled around to meet the crimson gaze that held familiarity. "Michael-kun..."

"It's been a while, eh Toichi-san?" Michael grinned behind his black mask, fangs shining in the dim light. It had actually been quite some time. Three months, if Toichi remembered right.

"What are you doing here?" Toichi asked. The answer he got was a small shake of a hand and an off-handedly spoken: "Saving you from people who have **way **too much free time in their hands." Then Michael grinned again. "So... did you miss me?"

As Toichi observed Michael's face for the first time in months, he realized that he had. Out loud he said: "I was actually still enjoying the peace and quiet." The sting of his words was taken away by the wide smile he had on his face. "Did England get tired of you or did you simply come to spread chaos to other places for a change?"

"I decided that the best thing to do with chaos is share it", Michael replied, immediately jumping along into the game. "After all, us kaitou need to stick together."

"Aa", Toichi said as he started walking down a corridor. "But 'us kaitou' are going to caught if we don't get a move on."

A bright laugh came from Michael in response before the younger man took after him.

_**To be continued...**_


	13. Can't You Read?

**Tinge of Red**

**Chapter 13**

**Can't You Read?**

"What are you reading?" a voice spoke right in front of Toichi. The magician lowered the newspaper he had been reading to see no other than Michael sitting in the cheer facing his own across the table.

"A newspaper", Toichi said simply before lifting the paper up again, reading the article he had been in the middle of before the interruption.

"I can see that", Michael said with a disappointed huff. "What I meant to say is what are you reading about?"

Toichi lowered his paper again and met Michael's somewhat heated gaze. With a sigh he turned the paper around for Michael to see. Michael's eyes scanned the page before he looked up at Toichi and questioned: "And?"

With another sigh Toichi waved the paper about and grunted: "Well, aren't your going to read what the article is about?"

Michael was glaring at him like he had just insulted him in the worst way possible. Very slowly the Brit spoke: "And **how**, pray tell, am I supposed to do that?"

Toichi looked at Michael again, their gazes clashing briefly before the magician spoke: "Can't you read?" He was growing impatient and that much was evident in his voice. Michael's cheeks heated up with an angry blush and the man muttered something inaudible.

"What?" Toichi asked in aggravation. "Speak so I can hear!"

Michael met Toichi's eyes silently. Then, very quietly but still audibly, he uttered: "I can't read kanji."

All Toichi could do was stare. Michael spoke such perfect Japanese and seemed so at ease when speaking the language with Toichi that the magician sometimes completely forgot that the younger man was not native. The man was Bittish, of course he would not know how to read kanji. And Toichi had not even thought about it before. He had never as much as considered the option.

"I'm such an idiot..." Toichi mumbled as he pulled his paper back and folded it. Michael looked at him expressionlessly for a moment before saying: "Well, it's not like it has been brought up before now. I'm not blaming you for not knowing." Michael smiled once more. "You may be a talented magician but that still doesn't mean you can read minds." He leaned his elbow on the table while he rested his chin on his hand. "So what **is** the article about?"

"Apparently the guy who showed up at the heist a couple of nights ago was telling the truth", Toichi said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "He is a writer. His name is Kudo Yusaku. And apparently he listened to what I had to say."

"Hm?" Michael lifted an eyebrow. "How so?"

"I said I was tired of being called 1412", Toichi said. He waved the paper around. "Apparently he spoke of me in a different name so that the press heard. Now they're using it as my official title."

"Really?" Michael asked in a curious manner as he leaned across the table. "What did they change 1412 into?"

"Just don't laugh", Toichi said seriously. Then he said simply: "Kid."

Michael was silent for a long while. At first Toichi thought he was trying to fight back laughter but then the Brit already spoke: "Hmm... poetic."

Toichi decided not to ask what was so poetic about it.

_**To be continued...**_


	14. The Bat Flies Tonight

Author's Notes: This chapter is set during a heist. And as for why Nosferatu is there; he simply wanted to drop by and see how well Kid handles the police on his home field.

**Tinge of Red**

**Chapter 14**

**The Bat Flies Tonight**

"Stop right there, Kid!" Kudo Yusaku shouted at the white-clad thief. Toichi had never stopped when someone had ordered him to. But this time he did stop, since he noticed Nosferatu coming to a halt.

"Nosferatu!" Toichi hissed. "What **are** you doing?"

"_Did he just call you a kid?_" It took a moment for Toichi to realize why the other thief would ask such a thing. Apparently Nosferatu had not seen Kudo during the previous heist, so he had no idea who the man was since the police officers were still stuck on the habit of calling him 1412.

"It's my new name, remember?" Toichi snapped, grabbing Nosferatu's arm. "Come on now! We're going to get caught!" Finally Nosferatu started moving again.

"But why 'Kid'?" Nosferatu spoke again. "I've been wondering about that."

"Ask Kudo Yusaku."

"Who's that?"

"The amateur writer, wanna-be detective that's chasing us now."

"Ok!"

It took Toichi a few seconds to notice that Nosferatu had run off. The Japanese thief could easily guess where his English friend had gone. He turned his head just in time to see Kudo being glomped by something red. He stopped running and turned around completely to see what would happen next. He doubted it would be anything good. Nosferatu's childish attitude would most likely anger Kudo. It even annoyed Toichi every now and then and he was **the** Kaitou Kid!

"Hi, Yu-chan!" Nosferatu cheered. "Why did you give my friend such a weird name?" Right to the point. Toichi could not help but snicker.

"It's really a lot of trouble to call him 1412 all the time", Kudo spoke, trying to push Nosferatu off of him now that the thief had to focus on his answer. "If you read the numbers like letters, you get K.I.D. It's easy to remember and it prevents confusion."

"Ok!" Toichi could almost see the surprised look on Kudo's face when Nosferatu suddenly levitated off of him and to Toichi's side.

Kudo's face twisted in anger and he was up in seconds. Toichi knew what was coming and took off before Kudo could catch up. Nosferatu, on the other hand, managed to dodge Kudo's grip only barely.

"It's unfair, really", Nosferatu commented as they ran. "I want a new name as well." Toichi rolled his eyes.

"If you want a new name **that** badly, ask Kudo if he'd give you one. He's got a pretty good imagination."

Toichi immediately regretted his words when he heard Nosferatu stop. The other man had a habit of ignoring sarcasm.

"Yu-chan!" Nosferatu cheered. "Give me a new name! Pretty please? I hate it when some of the officers call me 'Nosfelatou' or something like that."

Toichi turned around to see Kudo grasp the front of Nosferatu's jacket.

"You want a name? You won't need it when you're in jail, you red nuisance!" Toichi could imagine the frown on Nosferatu's face when he replied: "Well, this isn't cool", and disappeared through the floor. Toichi figured that this was his cue to leave and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Kudo was left alone with his anger.

Toichi could not help but feel sort of sorry for Kudo. Nosferatu had been in one of his more energetic moods. Toichi thought that the other had these moods because he fought against becoming an adult. It did not matter to Toichi, since he liked his friend even with all his faults. But he still felt bad every time he did not tell everyone else to take cover.

_Next Morning:_

Toichi was sitting in a café, reading the day's newspaper. A steaming cup of coffee had been placed on the table in front of him. The window next to him was frozen and it was snowing slightly outside.

Toichi put the paper down and took a sip of his coffee, just in time to see someone sit down opposite to him, dressed in a dark brown leather jacket and wearing a blue ski cap. The man grinned at him and took a deep gulp from his own cup, which was filled with reddish brown tea.

Toichi smiled and put his cup back on the table.

"Morning, Mike", he said to the man. The greeting was rewarded with a happy flash in the blue eyes and a quick fond smile on the full lips.

"Good morning to you too", Michael replied. "Have fun last night?"

"How could I with you hogging all of Kudo-kun's attention?" Michael pulled his hat off, revealing his fudge-colored hair with golden stripes. He gave Toichi an apologetic smile.

"Yu-chan is just so easy to bait; I couldn't resist."

Toichi lifted an eyebrow at his friend's words. "So you're going to call him that from now on?" he asked. Michael grinned. "It's a good nickname, ain't it?" Michael spoke fluent Japanese, but every time he got exited or carried away, his accent would shift to Kansai-ben. Toichi believed this was because the younger man's teacher had been from the area. Toichi then turned one page back from his newspaper and handed it over to Michael.

"Then I guess you'll be happy to hear that he also has a new name for you", he said.

Michael grabbed the paper with a frown. Even though he had told Toichi he could not read kanji he did have a somewhat good grasp on Japanese writing. Michael was strange like that; if he did not know how to do something exactly he considered himself to not know anything at all.

"Don't tell me they're calling me 'Red Nuisance' all over the country", the Brit said as he eyed the page.

"I think Kudo-kun was aiming at that, but the papers have a habit of twisting the truth around a bit." Michael's eyes scanned the article as Toichi spoke. The other man was listening to him; Michael always listened. This Toichi had learned very early. Toichi quieted down as Michael's tea spread a faint smell of lemon around the table.

"Red Bat?" Michael questioned and looked up from the paper. "My new name is Red Bat?" Toichi took another sip of his coffee.

"So it appears", was his reply.

"At least it's better than Red Nuisance." Toichi grinned at his friend's comment.

"So, do you like it?"

"I don't know..."

Michael leaned back in his chair.

"Akai Komori..." he spoke and took a small sip of his tea. "Akai Komori..." Toichi almost snickered. It had actually seemed for a moment that Michael was comparing the taste of his new name to his tea.

Finally Michael grinned widely at Toichi and drank the rest of his tea in one giant gulp. He put the cup down and handed the paper back to Toichi.

"It's decided", the Brit said. "From now on all of Japan shall know me as Akai Komori!" This time Toichi did laugh out loud. It never ceased to amaze him how energetic Michael could be. He even found himself hoping that his friend would never completely grow up, because even if the foreigner was a real trouble magnet and headache-causer, at least things never got boring with him around.

_**To be continued...**_


End file.
